Rate the Ad: Skcin: Computer Tan

Published on February 04, 2009.

Last week, we wanted to see if Rate the Ad could pick the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" contest winner. For the third year, Doritos called for consumer-generated :30s, had users vote for their favorites and aired the winning spot during the Big Game. This year, "Free Doritos!" took first, and "Power of the Crunch" also saw air time. What's more, for grabbing the #1 spot on the USA Today ad meter from 10-year champion Anheuser Busch, Doritos paid "Free Doritos!" creators Joe and Dave Herbert a cool million. Unfortunately, Rate the Ad's ad goodness meter was a little off this year--most didn't even give the CGM a fighting chance.

This week, we take a look at fake-vertising for a tan-tastic technological breakthrough. McCann, London, for U.K. skin cancer charity Skcin, cooked up an infomercial-style viral and website promoting Computer Tan, a revolutionary new way to get a just-in-from-Hawaii glow right at your desk. The infomercial pushes the non-existent product that transforms a computer screen into a fake baker and urges you online for a free trial. At the site, after a minute in front of the full-screen tanning lights, images of blistering lesions appear and the skin cancer prevention message shines through. What do you think? Does fake work for public service messages? Is this more or less effective than your traditional "use sunscreen" messaging? Weigh in, below.